The driver suspected of intentionally hitting a group of pedestrians in Northern California this week has not expressed remorse, according to local authorities.
Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, faces eight counts of attempted murder for allegedly driving his vehicle into pedestrians in Sunnyvale, California, on Tuesday evening.
In a news conference Thursday, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo said Peoples “has not shown any remorse.”
The investigation, Ngo stressed, remains ongoing.
Ngo said that the day of the incident, Peoples had picked up food and was delivering it to his Bible study group.
Peoples had no prior criminal history, Ngo said. His only interaction with local authorities was to report a lost item in February 2018.
Peoples served in the Army between 2004 and 2006, and was honorably discharged, Ngo said. He then served in the Army reserve until 2008. He has been working as a Department of Defense contractor as a finance auditor, Ngo said.
According to Ngo, Peoples owned one firearm: A “disassembled and inoperable” shotgun that was in the trunk of his vehicle.
Police had obtained a search warrant for his apartment, and found his computer, which will be examined in the coming weeks, Ngo said.
Authorities have yet to determine a motive in the incident, but continue to believe that Peoples acted deliberately, Ngo said.
“At this time there is no indication of any ties to terrorism,” he said.
Witnesses told investigators that after the incident, Peoples could be heard saying something akin to thanking God or Jesus, Ngo said. But he didn’t exhibit that behavior when he was arrested, Ngo said.
“When we took him into custody, he did not behave in any manner that would be considered bizarre to us,” Ngo told reporters.
The victims ranged in age from 9 to 52, with a 13-year-old who suffered the most serious injuries admitted to a hospital in critical condition, Ngo previously said.
A 32-year-old woman, a 33-year-old man and a 52-year-old man suffered major injuries and were admitted in stable condition. The others were either treated at the scene or treated at hospitals and released.
Ngo said Thursday that the victims’ conditions remained unchanged.
CNN’s Stella Chan contributed to this report.